It all comes together
by DreamingGlass
Summary: Chloe's father comes to her one night to ask for her help. Suddenly she is in the middle of a crisis that Jack is trying to stop. Might be JackChloe. Season 5 fourhour premiere spoilers
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story takes place sometime after season five and for those of you who haven't seen the four-hour premiere I advise you not to read this. There _are_ spoilers. I hope I got the characterization of Chloe down but I'm not too sure. This will most likely be Jack/Chloe and there will be some Spenser/Chloe tension. I hope you enjoy!

**Family Crisis**

Chloe woke up to the ring of her doorbell. She groaned softly before she placed her hand against her throbbing temple. Her eyes closed for a second and then opened again. It was still dark. It was…3 o'clock in the morning as a matter of fact. Chloe pulled her blanket over her head hoping that it was some sort of mistake or just a remnant of a dream. She _desperately_ needed to sleep this hangover off. Just as she got comfortable, the doorbell rang again. Chloe stomped out of bed and hastily put on her bathrobe. Whoever it was, he had better have a good explanation.

Chloe unlocked the door and angrily pulled it open.

"What do you-_Dad_?" she said disbelievingly. She tried to remember the last time she had seen her father. Was it seven years ago? Maybe it had been six. Chloe frowned. Something was definitely wrong. Her father was shaking and she saw a glean of sweat on his balding head. He was a nervous wreck. The father she knew always had everything in control. A hurricane sweeping off their old barn hadn't even shaken his will.

"Well, are you just going to stand there?" her father asked.

Chloe moved away from the door and Kevin O'Brian walked into her apartment. Chloe locked the door and then led him to the couch in the small den.

"What's going on, Dad?" she asked her eyes narrowed. Kevin wiped his sweat away with his handkerchief and then struggled to put it back in his pocket with his trembling hands. Chloe crossed her arms.

"I'm in a bit of trouble," he said quietly looking up at his daughter. The invisible barrier around her was still standing strong and he supposed it was his fault. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I can see that. Why else would you come to _me_ at an ungodly hour?"

Kevin sighed while Chloe grimly looked on. There was no way she was going to make this easy for him. As horrible it sounded, she needed to know that her father wasn't perfect and she secretly enjoyed every rare mistake he made.

"I've started to gamble. I won't go into detail but all you have to know is that I need money to pay these people back."

She stared at her father. She was expecting something bad but not this. Kevin O'Brian…gambling? Her father? Her workaholic father. She just couldn't see him so careless with his money. She sighed and closed her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose. _Hangover, I forgot._ She licked her lips and the action reminded her of her parched throat.

"How much?" she asked hoarsely.

"$600,000," he answered reluctantly. Chloe felt her knees give out and she lowered herself onto the couch. _Holy shit._ She let the moment sink in for a while before she spoke.

"How the hell did this happen? Does Sophie know?" she asked harshly. Kevin emitted a bitter laugh.

"Sophie doesn't even know that my company is going bankrupt or else she wouldn't be still married to me. And don't say I told you so."

"What-that you married a gold digger? I told you so."

"Chloe please. Do you have any money I can use? And then I'll get out of here. This people mean business and I don't want you to be in danger. I lost them a couple streets back but they'll find me eventually."

Chloe's head shot up at the word danger. This couldn't be happening. She looked around to make sure that Jack Bauer wasn't hidden in the dark corners of her apartment. Over the past few years she had connected the word "danger" to Jack but never to her father. What was she going to do?

"Dad, I don't have that kind of money! I don't own a company like you. Why didn't you take better care of that anyway? Isn't there someone else you can ask? Dad, I'm sorry but I-"

Kevin put up a hand stopping her in mid-talk.

"It's okay. I'll figure it out. I'm sorry for waking you up."

Kevin stood up from the couch and Chloe looked up at him. Suddenly, she saw him in a different light. He seemed more human in a way. However, she still saw that pride of his in midst of all the self-pity. Chloe stood up next to him unsure of what she could say. She didn't want to be inappropriately blunt but she had to start somewhere.

"Dad…I-"

The doorbell rang and Kevin tensed up immediately. Chloe moved to answer but her father grabbed her elbow forcefully in order to pull her back. He put his hand close to his lips telling her to be quiet. The doorbell rang again and for some reason the sound seemed awfully sinister. Kevin stood in front of her protectively and Chloe saw his arm slowly moving. She stepped out from behind him and nearly gasped when she saw the gun.

"A _gun? _Dad."

"Shut up, Chloe," he whispered.

Chloe jumped when she heard the banging on the door. Her heart started to thump and her hands trembled.

"Kevin O'Brian. We know you're in here. You don't want us to barge in on our own. We'll wake up the neighbors." It was a man's voice. Deep and harsh. Each word he uttered stroke a chill up her spine.

"Us? Who are they?" she whispered panicked. However, her father wasn't listening. Rather he was clicking the safety off and then aiming at the door. But he was no Jack Bauer. She could hear him take in deep breaths and he was sweating more profusely than ever. He had never killed a man before and Chloe didn't want to watch him do it.

"Five seconds before we knock down this door. Five…four…"

Kevin pushed Chloe away from him gently.

"Chloe hide!" he hissed.

"No."

"_Chloe._"

"I said no," she said curtly.

"Three…two...one…Damn it, Kevin."

After three hard kicks the door banged open and three men charged in with their weapons out. One man was completely bald, near his forties, Caucasian and about six foot tall. He was rugged and his muscles were well built. His aura about him made him look fearless. Somehow, Chloe knew he was the ringleader. His presence said it all. Kevin aimed his gun at him.

"Come now, Kevin. Put the gun down nice and easy. We both know you won't pull the trigger."

"What if I do?" Kevin asked with gritted teeth.

"Then these two," he motioned with a nod to the other men, " will kill _her._ Your daughter, I presume? Chloe O'Brian, no?"

Chloe willed her voice to be strong.

"What do you want?"

The man faced her with a feral smile.

"My money."

"Let her go. She has nothing to do with this," Kevin pleaded. The man smirked as the other men pointed their guns at her.

"She does now. Where's my money, O'Brian?"

Chloe clenched her fists.

"You can't do this. I'm with a federal agency. CTU. Counter Terrorist Unit. If I'm killed-"

"Ah, a federal agent, I see. Although I have to say you aren't the best I've ever seen. My gun should be in your hands by now." The man grinned.

"I work with computers," she mumbled defensively.

The man turned his attention to her father.

"Put the gun down! Or else they kill your daughter."

Seconds passed as Chloe held her breath unknowingly. Kevin slowly put the gun down on the floor and raised his hands up in the air.

For the first time in three years, Chloe wanted to cry.

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Jack shot up in his bed panting and sweating. Another dream had haunted his sleep. This time it had been about the day President Palmer and Michelle died. The day Chloe had drawn him out of hiding with her call for help. It had been hell and the last thing he wanted was to relive it in his dreams. He glanced at the clock. 3:27 am. Three more hours until he had to go to work.

After that trying day, Jack was asked to come back to CTU as assistant director of field ops. For an unknown reason even to himself, he said yes even though his brain told him that the job was everything he had tried to avoid, but his heart knew that he could never truly leave CTU permanently. So he worked under Curtis Manning but Curtis knew that Jack would make the better decisions and knew when to bite back his pride.

Jack lied back down again only to hear his cell phone ring.

"Bauer."

"Jack, it's Bill. We need you here."

Jack straightened up immediately.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'll explain it to you when you get here. Just hurry, Jack."

"I'll be there," Jack answered and hung up the phone. He hoped to God that today wouldn't be one of those days where everything went straight to hell. He started to wish that he slept a little earlier last night. Jack had a feeling he would need it.

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Chloe's eyes widened a little when she heard a cell phone ring, but stilled herself when the man looked over at her with a suspicious glare. She and her father were kneeling on the ground, gagged, with their hands tied behind their backs. The men were looking around her apartment when the phone rang. It wasn't hers. She knew that for sure. The man reached into the inside of his jacket and took out a ringing phone.

He walked away slightly but was still within hearing distance.

"Yeah?"

There was a pause.

"Is it done?" The man glanced at her and Chloe looked away quickly. "Yeah, I have her…No I don't want to get rid of him just yet. He's our leverage."

It was as if someone kicked her in the stomach. They didn't care about her father or the money at all. All they wanted was her.

"Will Bauer be a problem?" Chloe's breath hitched. "Good. Get rid of him somehow. He'll ruin everything…I'll call you later then." The man flicked the cell phone shut and sauntered mischievously in front of her. He placed his cold hands on her shoulders and slowly let the bathrobe slip a little. He smirked, tugged her chin playfully, and then walked away.

_Oh my God._

A/N: I hope you liked it. Please review! Constructive criticism would be nice. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to the reviewers! I really appreciated the feedback. I hope you like this chapter. Warning: there may be season 5 spoilers! (non-four-hour premiere) Enjoy!

** I'm Sorry**

Jack walked into the CTU office ready to take on anything that came his way. Hopefully. There was the annoying phone ring everywhere and the bustling of people told Jack that something big was definitely going on. He spotted Bill Buchanan in the situation room with Edgar and pushed the door open. The two men looked up and Bill took in a deep breath.

"I'm glad you're here. Okay, Edgar get back to me when you're finished," he said. Edgar nodded and moved out of Jack's way.

"Yes, sir. Sir, did you page Chloe about this yet?" he asked. Bill frowned.

"Of course, I did. She's our senior analyst. Now will you go?" he said irritably. Edgar quickly nodded and walked out the door. Jack stared straight at Bill.

"What's going on?" he asked in a steely voice readying himself for a big shock. Bill sighed.

"Sears Tower's been bombed. We don't have a final casualty count but hopefully it won't be that high. And incoming intel says that there's a 97 chance that Los Angeles will be the next target. I'm guessing it'll happen during President Logan's speech," Bill replied. He ran his hand through his graying hair and looked at Jack hoping that he had some miraculous solution hidden in his pocket.

"Why would they attack now? It's the middle of the night and Sears Tower would be empty."

"I think it's mostly symbolic. The Sears Tower used to be the highest building in the world," Bill suggested. Jack crossed his arms.

"When's the speech?"

"At nine o' clock, which is good. We still have some time."

"Do we have any idea who's behind this?"

"No, not really. Our data analysts are looking through chatter. Hopefully, they'll come up with something. I want you here just in case anything comes up. We're trying to get through to the president but he's not listening."

Jack nodded.

"Okay, then I'll be out here."

Bill nodded just as the phone rang. When he picked up, Jack walked outside the room and decided to check up on Edgar. Maybe he would have more information.

"Edgar."

"Hey, Jack. Damn it! Sorry, it's just that everything would go a whole lot faster if Chloe was here right now," Edgar said still staring at the computer screen typing away. Jack frowned. Chloe was their best analyst. Why wasn't she here?

"Where is she?" he asked. Edgar shrugged.

"I have no idea but I tried calling her. She wouldn't pick up. That's not like her, Jack. I'm kind of worried. She should have been here by now."

Jack was vaguely aware of the crush Edgar had on Chloe. In the CTU office, they rarely had anytime to take a break and the only way to have some sort of entertainment was to gossip about co-workers. Jack tended to ignore it but sometimes he would get the gist of it. However, he knew when to tread softly around workers because of all the gossip. Putting that aside, Jack was becoming worried for Chloe. He had found out on the day of President Palmer's death that he had a soft spot for the sarcastic lady. Chloe always found some way to help him even through the impossible. She had risked her job and her life for him plenty of times and that was something Jack would always be grateful for.

"Try calling her again," he said softly. Edgar picked up the phone and dialed her phone number. It started to ring…

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The man glared at Chloe again when the phone rang for the fifth time. He picked it up and then walked in front of Chloe. He took off the gag and Chloe took in a shaky breath.

"Who is calling you?"

"Well, I don't know considering I can't see the front display," Chloe said sharply. Her father glanced at her warily. The man who Chloe decided to call Johnson (she had overheard the other men calling him that) nearly shoved the phone into her face. Her eyes focused on the number.

"It's CTU. I don't get it. It's three…"

Johnson grinned.

"They work fast, don't they?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes.

"What are you talking about? Did something happen?"

Everyone stared at the phone as it went silent. Then Johnson stood up and walked across the den in order to turn on the television. The screen flickered on to show a building on fire with police and firemen everywhere.

"Oh my God. It's Chicago. You guys bombed the Sears Tower? You're _terrorists_," she snarled.

"They told me you were the smart one. They'll call again," he said abruptly turning on his heels to face Chloe, "You'll pick up the phone and tell them you're on your way."

Chloe breathed heavily.

"Will I be?"

Johnson and the other men glanced at each other with malicious smiles.

"Yes, but not to CTU."

Chloe glared at him and struggled against the rope around her wrists.

"I'm not telling them anything!" Johnson raised one eyebrow and aimed his gun at her father's head. She stopped herself from letting out a whimper and she tried to calm herself down.

"At least tell me where I'm going," she said dejectedly. The phone rang again and everyone's attention was immediately turned to the small device. Johnson flipped the phone opened and held it against her ear.

"Hello?" she said trying to bite back the beginnings of a sob. She almost lost it when she heard Jack's voice.

"Chloe, where are you? Did you hear about the Sears Tower?" he asked. Chloe paused for a brief second before answering.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't hear the phone ring until a minute ago. I'm a heavy sleeper."

"Okay, well get here soon. We could really use your help."

"Okay, Jack."

There was a moment's pause while Chloe kept her breathing in check.

"Chloe? Are you okay?"

_No! I'm being held hostage by terrorists and I can't tell you about it! No, I'm not okay! And it's so good to hear your voice…_ For a split second, she was tempted to scream but her eyes were on the gun pointing at her father. She tried to smile even though Jack wouldn't be able to see it.

"I'm fine, Jack. I'll see you when I get there."

"Alright. Bye."

Johnson quickly pulled the phone away and shut it. He paced in front of her as if pondering something and then he came to an abrupt stop. He motioned one of the men and whispered something in his ear. The man nodded and grabbed Kevin. Chloe tried to stand up.

"No, wait. What are you doing? Don't hurt him! Where are you taking him?" she screeched. Johnson slapped her with the back of his hand and Chloe stopped struggling. It stung so badly but she refused to cry. She defiantly looked up at him. Her father was taken away into her bedroom and she could hear a muffled grunt.

Johnson peered into her eyes.

"How well do you know Bauer?" he growled. Chloe stared at him.

"Why do you need to know?" she asked her voice dripping with hate. Johnson grabbed her chin with his hand and pulled it forcefully.

"Answer me now!" he roared. Chloe tried to pull her face away but her effort was in vain.

"The neighbors will hear you, you know. The last thing you need is the place swarming with police. They aren't entirely stupid."

She enjoyed the livid expression on Johnson's face but it was short lived when he slapped her again, harder than before. Then she watched in terror as Johnson knelt in front of her. His hand lightly brushed over the neckline of her tank top. Why didn't she wear something less revealing to bed?

"Tell me. Now. Or else I'll give the order. You don't want your father dead, do you now?"

"I know him well enough. I mean, we work together."

Johnson thought for a moment.

"Then you aren't very close?"

"No," she answered coldly. Her face swung sideways when Johnson's hand met her cheek. She tried to ignore the pain and concentrated on controlling her breathing. In. Out. In. Out.

"You're lying. You have…feelings for Bauer," he said more to himself, bemused. Chloe's heart stopped. She had known that for years but it was the first time she had ever heard it said out loud. Johnson rubbed his chin.

"And does Bauer return these feelings?"

Chloe bit back a strange desire to laugh.

"No." She winced anticipating another slap but nothing came. The man was smiling as if he was amused.

"I can see why," he replied wryly. Chloe felt a pang but told herself that she was being ridiculous.

"What does this all matter?"

"You'll see. Get up."

Chloe's eyes widened but she tried to do what he said. Unfortunately, her legs didn't have the strength to lift herself off from the floor. Johnson helped by pulling her up forcefully. He touched her back with the end of the gun while he untied her hands.

"Bring him out here!" he called out in the direction of the closed door. The door opened and Kevin and Chloe's eyes met for one instant before Kevin was pushed into the kitchen. Johnson shoved her into the bedroom.

"Dress," he ordered. Chloe gaped.

"What?"

"You're not going to walk in the streets like that. Dress!" he repeated. It looked like he had no intention to leave the room or even turn around to respect her privacy.

"Fine. Have it your way."

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Spenser Wolff paused before entering the CTU building. It had been about a year since he had last stepped foot into the place. After he had spilled everything to Jack Bauer, Mr. Buchanan had let him off easy knowing that Cummings was behind all of it that day. However, that did nothing for his own conscience when he saw that look on Chloe O'Brian's face while walking out of the office. He knew that it was she who turned him in and he wished it had been someone else. For her sake. He remembered her expression of betrayal and utter shock even though they had been together for the shortest of time.

Spenser shook his head. They needed more analysts and that also included former moles. Sort of. He knew he would be watched very closely and frankly he couldn't blame them. He was just glad that he was given a second chance, but it also meant facing Chloe. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that yet even though it was a forever ago.

"Sir?" prompted the security guard. Spenser looked up, startled out of his thoughts.

"Sorry." The doors opened and he walked in.

He took in one deep breath before he decided to find Mr. Buchanan. However, he stopped short when he saw Edgar and Jack on the computer two feet away. _Oh boy._ He tried to sidle away but it was too late. Edgar had spotted him and he stood up from his desk causing Jack to look up in surprise. Spenser saw an angry expression on both their faces and he couldn't believe that Jack remembered him. Hadn't he interrogated more than a hundred people? Did he memorize everyone's face? _God damn it._ Knowing he couldn't avoid a confrontation, he decided to get it over and done with. So he walked up to Edgar's desk.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Edgar demanded at the same time Jack asked, "How the hell did you get in?"

"CTU needed more analysts."

"But-but you were a mole," Edgar sputtered. Jack crossed his arms and stared at Spenser straight on making him uncomfortable. Spenser cleared his throat in order to defend himself somehow but Bill Buchanan who suddenly appeared out of nowhere beat him to the chase.

"The decision was up to me. I wanted him here. Now let him get to work. Spenser, you're in the station next to him," Mr. Buchanan said but when Spenser turned to go he grabbed his arm, "Make no mistake. I'll be watching you like a hawk. Are we clear on this?"

Spenser nodded, and then Jack spoke up.

"But Bill-" he protested. Mr. Buchanan lifted his hand.

"That's enough, Jack." He walked up the stairs that led him to his office.

Spenser settled into his chair ignoring Edgar blatant glares. Truthfully, he was more scared of Jack Bauer but he tried not to let it get to him. This had to be a formula for trouble. Trouble. He scanned the premises for Chloe but she was nowhere to be found.

"She's not here if that's who you're looking for," Edgar said suddenly. Spenser glanced at him and saw that Jack's interest had increased. Edgar was the only one who knew about his strange relationship with Chloe.

"She doesn't work here anymore?" he asked chewing on his bottom lip. Edgar shook his head.

"She does. She just hasn't come in yet…You'll give her a heart attack when she sees you."

Spenser turned on his laptop and then typed in his password.

"I doubt it. Chloe's…" he tried to think of what she exactly was, "strong." He tried to ignore Jack who had his full attention on him now. Edgar frowned.

"I'll never forgive you for what you did."

Spenser shook his head.

"I don't need your forgiveness, Edgar. Now let me do my job."

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"Where are we going?" Chloe asked desperately turning minivan left. She tried not to think about the gun that was pressed up against her side. She could feel the cool metal through her shirt and it wasn't very pleasant knowing that it could kill her at any moment. Johnson just picked up his cell phone and dialed a number. After a pause, he spoke.

"We're on our way…Yeah, we have it with us… We should be there in two minutes. Are you sure this is going to work? Alright, I'll call you back when we get there." He turned off the phone. Chloe swallowed painfully.

"Please. At least tell me what you're making me do," she pleaded. Johnson studied her face for a second before looking out the window.

"You're going to plant a bomb somewhere."

Chloe's heart stopped but she kept driving. _Oh God. Oh God. Oh God._

"Where?" she whispered almost not wanting to know. He ignored and instead picked up a duffel bag that was hidden underneath the car seat. He opened up and took out a tiny earpiece that was almost invisible. He tested it out before handing it over to Chloe.

"Put it on," he ordered. Her hand shaking she put it in her ear while she stopped at a red light. Johnson put on his and then closed the bag. She then put both her hands on the wheel and pressed on the accelerator. Chloe cursed herself when she felt the gun once more. She hadn't even noticed that he had let go of the gun because she had been in shock. She had missed her one chance to put a stop to this whole mess.

"Pull over here," he ordered and Chloe did so as she realized where they were.

"Why do you want me to bomb a hotel? _Why are you doing this?_" she asked.

"A close friend of the president is staying here. I just want to give the country…a friendly warning. Park…park!" he commanded when Chloe hesitated to do so. The car came to a full stop and Johnson handed her the duffel bag.

"Be careful with this. You know what's in here. Go up to the front desk. There should be a man named Jake Ramsey. He'll show you the way. Do this, and I might not have to get rid of your father."

Chloe breathed in deeply.

"When is the bomb going to go off?" she asked.

"Oh, you'll make it out before the blast. I'll be guiding you too through the earpiece. Take it off and I kill Kevin."

Chloe nodded trembling. Johnson took out his phone again and then punched a few buttons. Then he showed it to her. It was a video of her father tied to a chair, still gagged. A man had his gun aimed at his head. She closed her eyes almost tasting the bile in her throat.

"Are you ready?"

She flashed him a dirty look.

"Oh yeah. I'm going to have to bomb this place soon. I'm totally ready," she said scathingly. The man just rolled his eyes.

"Go."

Chloe nodded and got out of the van. Through the window she saw him go into the back in order to hide. _Damn it._

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"Jack! Curtis!" Bill called out as he descended the staircase. Jack looked up from Edgar's computer screen and walked up to him. Curtis from the other side of the room hurried to them.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"There was a phone call that originated from Sheraton Hotel. An employer called the police and told them that there was a man who shot down three security guards. He was dressed in the worker uniform but he said that he had never seen him before. We heard shots from the other end and then the call got disconnected. I want you two to go and check it out. I want to know if this is connected with anything," Bill ordered.

Jack and Curtis both nodded and hurried off in order to get dressed appropriately. After Spenser watched them leave with the rest of the team, he turned only to see Edgar glaring at him.

"What? I have nothing to do with this!" he said incredulously.

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Chloe gulped before she walked into the hotel. It was pretty quiet since it was still four in the morning. She tried not to look suspicious but considering her hands were shaking like crazy she was surprised that she was able to pull this off. She walked up to the desk and she noted the nametag on the man behind it. Jake Ramsey.

"Give him your name," said Johnson through the earpiece.

"Hi, my name is Chloe O'Brian. I'd like a room please," she said nervously. The man nodded sternly and started typing on the computer. Then he pulled out a card.

"Would you like me to take you to your room?" he asked significantly.

"Uh yes, please."

"This way. Janet! Do you mind taking over for me?" Jake called out towards the backroom.

"Sure," said a woman. Jake slipped out from the desk and gave Chloe a courteous smile that gave her the chills. _You're a terrorist, you bastard. Don't you smile at me._ They walked through the halls and suddenly realized that they were deviating from the rooms. Ramsey pushed a door opened and Chloe saw that it led to the stairs.

Ramsey pushed her through and then closed the door behind him.

"Let's go! You're late," he commanded. Chloe was about to retort but then saw a gun peeking out of his jacket. He noticed her gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Just don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine," he said sardonically.

"Right. This is coming from a terrorist," she blurted out before she could stop herself. He glared at her and grabbed her elbow. Then he practically dragged her down the stairs. Eventually the stairs came to a stop and Ramsey shoved her inside in what looked like a boiler room.

"Are you in the boiler room?" Johnson asked. Chloe almost jumped. She had forgotten about the earpiece.

"Yeah, we're in," she answered her voice quivering. It was dark and hot. She tried to squint when Ramsey moved towards the back. She followed but nearly yelped when she stepped on something. Chloe looked down and she had a sudden urge to vomit.

"You _killed_ him," she whispered as she looked down at the body of a security guard in horror. Then she turned her face away feeling quite grim when she saw the other bodies. She covered her mouth.

"That's how you'll end up if you don't hurry _up_," snarled Ramsey. Trying not to look down she joined him near the back. He took the bag from her and opened it up. Inside, there was a handgun and a device, which Chloe guessed it to be the bomb.

"It should be already set up," said Johnson.

"He says it's already set up," she repeated the statement to Ramsey. He nodded and placed it behind a boiler. He took the handgun, gave it to her, and then took out his own gun. Before Chloe could aim hers at him, Ramsey turned her around and pressed his gun on the small of her back. Just at that moment, Ramsey's phone rang. With one hand, he opened it and answered it.

"Yeah? Okay. We'll be out before they get here. Bye."

Chloe's heart lifted. Would there be help?

"Let's go before we're surrounded. Any agents or policemen you see, you kill them. Understood? Or face the consequences. Your choice," Ramsey said. Chloe nodded.

"Let's go."

They hurried out of the boiler room and retraced their steps to the stairs. However, two agents walked into them. Chloe muffled her scream as she watched Ramsey's bullets tear through the agents' torsos. Ramsey grabbed her arm and was about to leave when one of the dying agents had enough strength to pull out his gun and shoot. Chloe gaped when she saw Ramsey fall to the ground dead, feverish eyes opened. She ran to the agent. She recognized him from CTU and she knew that he recognized her as well.

"Please…tell…my wife…I love…her." With that said, his head fell back to the ground and Chloe closed his eyes. Tears slid down her cheeks.

"I will. I promise." She checked the nametag. Chris Taylor.

"What's going on, Chloe?" Johnson asked.

"Ramsey's dead," she replied coldly. _And I wish I were the one to kill him._ She heard him let out a string of curses.

"Then you're going to have to get out yourself."

"Is my father still alive?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yes, he is and I suggest you get out of there. I have more use for you and I don't want you in the hands of CTU. Get out!"

Chloe ran up the stairs not knowing what else to do. She would get caught for sure but some reason she wanted to be found. She wanted someone to end this nightmare. Chloe ended up in a hallway but she didn't care where she was anymore. So she just ran and ran until…

Jack Bauer stood in her way.

"Jack," she whispered. They stood two feet away from each other. Chloe's sob escaped her throat as she watched Jack stop short. He lowered his gun slowly. Jack's expression went from shock to confusion to concern. Chloe's body trembled from head to toe.

"Chloe? What are you doing here?" he asked. "Why aren't you at the office?"

_Oh Jack._ She had never been so glad to see him but something stopped her from running towards him and hugging him. Her legs couldn't move. _Jack._ Her earpiece crackled.

"Kill him," Johnson demanded. Her heart stopped in mid-thump. She could hear glee in his voice and she shook her head slowly disbelieving. Jack stepped forward.

"Chloe, what's going on?" he asked.

"Kill him or I give the order. Take your pick."

Chloe closed her eyes and tears streamed from them. There was no way she could kill him not after what he had done for this country. Not after what he had done for her heart. Jack had melted her stone cold heart. How could she kill him?

An image of her father shot in the head flashed into her mind.

She slowly raised her gun and aimed it at Jack's chest. Jack's eyes widened. He didn't even raise his weapon.

"Chloe. What are you doing? Don't do this."

She didn't answer.

"Chloe, please don't do this. Let's talk, ok? _Chloe?_" he pleaded.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot him," Johnson ordered irritably. Chloe sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Jack," she whispered hoarsely and then closed her eyes.

She pulled the trigger…

A/N: So what do you think? I know it's really far stretched that CTU would bring in a mole but I wanted there to be tension between Spenser and Chloe. I wanted a sense of betrayal so that there would be some sort of parallel. Sorry if it bothers you. This whole plot is kind of out there but please read it for the sake of enjoyment. Please review with constructive criticism please. Thanks to the reviewers!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I just remembered that I had forgotten to write a disclaimer for the last two chapters. I don't own 24 or any of the characters except for the ones that you don't recognize.

A/N: Okay so here's chapter three which was extremely hard to write and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe because I ended it with a cliffhanger last chapter. I hope you like it. You get a taste of what it is like to see Chloe freak out. Thanks for all the reviews!

**Sinking**

Curtis didn't know what shocked him more as he watched in a daze from behind Chloe. The fact that Chloe was shooting Jack or the fact that Jack…wasn't dead. However, his eyes saw the splintered storage room door beside Jack. _What the hell?_ It seemed like Jack was thinking the exact same thing. He nearly jumped when Curtis heard his cell phone ring. Chloe pivoted on her heels in order to face him.

Curtis quickly raised his weapon and aimed it at her. It was a scenario that he would never have been able to imagine. He kept his eye on Jack when Jack walked up behind her. Chloe let out one long shaky breath. Then she said two words.

"He's dead." At the same time Chloe stepped to the side so that she could face both Jack and Curtis. She put a finger to her lips. Jack and Curtis glanced at each other in confusion. Chloe pointed to her ear and suddenly there was a look of understanding on Jack's face.

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Chloe waited for any answer and desperately wished that Curtis' phone would stop ringing. She watched him turn on the phone and stride at least five feet away from her. Good. Hopefully, Johnson wouldn't hear a thing. Why wasn't he _saying_ anything? Finally, the earpiece crackled.

"I don't believe you," Johnson said slowly. Her heart, which had been thumping quite loudly became still. She clutched the gun tightly. This didn't sound too good.

"What?" she asked knowing fully well what he had said. _God. Please, no._

"Your father's good as dead."

"No! I swear he's dead. Jack's dead. Don't kill him! Please," Chloe sobbed as she felt Curtis grab her arms and pull them behind her back. She struggled against him but barely felt the impact of her head hitting Curtis' chin. He grunted softly. She felt Jack's strong hands on her shoulders. Her face was drenched in tears.

"Goodbye, Chloe."

The feedback of the earpiece shrieked and Chloe screamed and jerked her head to the side in pain. Jack quickly took it out of her ear as her hands were being handcuffed.

"NO! Don't kill him, Johnson! JOHNSON! You BASTARD!" she screamed knowing that at this moment her father could very well be dead. At that thought, Chloe's legs failed to support her and Jack caught her before she could hurt herself. She clutched his strong arms as he gently lowered her to the ground.

"Curtis! Get her out of these handcuffs!" he shouted.

"Bill's orders. I'm sorry, Chloe. Chloe?" Curtis said regretfully.

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This was scaring him more than being strung up from the ceiling waiting to be tortured. Jack gently placed his hand on Chloe's cheek. Her unfocused gaze chilled him to the bone. He gently slapped her cheek hoping it would break her out of this strange reverie. In doing so, he noticed a slight bruise on her skin and he felt a small bubble of anger in his chest.

"Chloe. Chloe. Look at me. Chloe," he said soothingly. He rubbed her cheek and brushed her hair out of her eyes. _Come on. Chloe_. Jack vaguely heard Curtis calling in most of the team to their location. It seemed as if Chloe had heard it.

"Call…in…medics. Agents…by the…stairs…hurt…or dead," she said barely audible. Jack looked up at Curtis and Curtis nodded. Jack held her face as it started to drop.

"Chloe! You've got to stay awake for me. Okay? Please tell me what's going on. Chloe?"

Jack's eyes widened when he saw Chloe break out of his grasp and rested her head on his shoulder. Unsure of what to do, he looked at his other colleague. However, Curtis was directing the agents on his walkie-talkie. He hesitatingly put both his arms around her and was surprised and concerned to find that Chloe was thinner than he would have liked. This couldn't be healthy.

"There's…a bomb…in the boiler room," she whispered. Jack and Curtis froze. Jack pulled her away from him holding her tightly by the shoulders.

"What did you say?" he asked his heart thrashing.

"There's a bomb in the back of the boiler room. I put it there. It's in a duffel bag. There were…dead bodies all over the place," she answered softly gazing at Jack. Curtis immediately called for more backup and more medics. Then he knelt down in order to be at Chloe's eye level.

"When is it going off?" he asked as many agents arrived on the scene. Chloe closed her eyes. Jack shook her gently.

"Chloe. When is it going off?" he repeated Curtis' question.

"I don't know."

Knowing that he got all he could out of her about the bomb, Jack motioned one of the agents to come take his place with Chloe.

"Chloe, I got to go. This is Agent Mathis. He'll stay with you."

Then he turned to Mathis.

"Get her out of this building. She has information and I don't want her getting hurt." Mathis nodded and pulled Chloe up. Jack grabbed on to his arm and Mathis turned in question. "Take care of her," he whispered. Mathis nodded once more and led her away.

Jack turned to face the crisis in hand. As always.

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Chloe waited outside the hotel resting against a CTU car. The medics had tried to take her blood pressure with the handcuffs but after being pushed away they surveyed her face for any signs of injury. Finally, they discerned that she wasn't seriously hurt and they left her knowing she was a grieving woman. Chloe just stared at the building hoping it wouldn't burst into flames anytime soon.

She closed her eyes. _Dad, I'm sorry._ She sacrificed her father so that she wouldn't have to kill the man that she quite possibly loved. Suddenly, Chloe regretted yelling at her father seven years ago. She moved her wrists around in the handcuffs and then rested her head on the car.

How was she ever going to look at Jack Bauer without thinking about her father ever again? She was going to have to quit but after hearing the metal of the handcuffs clinging, she let out a bitter chuckle. That is, after she went to prison.

Suddenly there was a lot of noise from the front entrance of the hotel. Chloe saw Jack walking out with the rest of the agents. So they had been successful as always. She saw Jack looking around until his eyes landed on Chloe. She swallowed as he walked up to her.

"Hey. How are you doing?"

Chloe just laughed. It sounded so…terrible to her ears.

"Just fine, Jack," she paused, "Could you check my apartment somehow? My father's body."

Jack put his hand on her shoulder.

"Chloe, you're going to have to tell me what's going on."

Chloe closed her eyes.

"They're terrorists. They bombed the Sears Towers. They wanted to bomb the hotel because President Logan's friend was staying there. The man in charge was Johnson. He's the one who told me to kill you. I didn't so they killed my father. His body should be at my apartment unless they did something else with it. They just wanted to use me and my father ended up dying. Does it sound familiar, Jack? Well it should according to Tony."

She hated herself for forcing him to think about his late wife but she didn't care anymore.

"Chloe-" Jack started but Chloe stopped him before he could finish.

"Don't Jack. I just can't. Take me to CTU and question me there but now…I just can't. I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Okay," he said nodding, "Come on. Let's go." He held onto her arm and gently led her to his car. He opened the passenger door and Chloe slid into the seat. He closed the door and called out to Curtis who was updating Bill on their situation.

"Curtis! I'm taking her to CTU."

"Alright, Jack. I'll see you there," Curtis called back.

Jack got into the car and turned on the ignition. His eyes wandered to the handcuffs and he wished he could take them off.

"Sorry about the handcuffs," he said. Chloe shrugged.

"It's not the first time I've worn them," she answered. He knew that she hadn't meant to be biting, he hoped. But he realized that the last time she had been in them when she had tried to cause a diversion so that Jack could escape with Derek. He sighed.

It had been quite a strange, hectic way to start the day. He glanced at her who was staring out the window. Jack had found her annoying when he first met her, but now she possessed a certain charm that made him smile time to time. Although she was brutally blunt at the worst possible times, he couldn't help but like her for everything she was. She was one of the few people at CTU who trusted him all the way. In fact, she was the only one who did. It pained him to see her like this. This wasn't the Chloe he knew. Jack hoped that Bill would go easy on her when they got there.

"Jack," Chloe said softly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be," he replied after a short pause. He just wished he hadn't put her in such a situation. He was going to get the damned bastards.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for."

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Jack and Curtis were on either side of Chloe as they entered CTU. When people saw their senior analyst being led in handcuffs the chaos faded in order to watch this moment. Jack wished that they could just look away and leave her alone. Just then, he saw Spenser climbing down the stairs shuffling through papers not noticing the scene in front of him. Jack felt Chloe stiffen beside him and watched as Spenser came to a sudden halt. Jack uncomfortably watched him gaze at Chloe and her handcuffs. Chloe stopped to stare right back at him. Jack understood the significance of the look they were exchanging and suddenly he jerked her away in order to meet up with Bill. At least that was his justification anyway.

Chloe looked up in surprise but he ignored the silent question. Instead he met up with Bill at the foot of the stairs. His face was stern as always.

"Chloe, what the hell is going on?"

Jack couldn't help but admire the way she straightened up and look at Buchanan in the eye.

"You should hurry and send agents to my apartment. The terrorists barged in on my father and me and used my father as leverage. They wanted me to place a bomb in Sheraton Hotel because President Logan's friend was staying there. I don't know if they're still at my place but probably not. But there might be traces left," she said in almost all in one breath. Bill studied her for a long moment trying to decide whether to trust her or not. But after working with for a few years, he knew that Chloe didn't lie unless it was to help Jack. Since Jack wasn't breaking any rules or causing any necessary disruptions, he decided to take Chloe for her word. Bill noticed Curtis walking in.

"Curtis and Jack. I want you to search Chloe's apartment. Now. Chloe, I want you to stay in holding," Bill ordered.

"Sir. I want to go with them," Chloe said firmly. Bill shook his head.

"No, I don't want you to step outside of CTU."

"I need to see my father. I need to see for myself if he really is…dead," Chloe said quietly. Bill looked to Jack for support.

"Let her come with us. She'll be a help," he said. Bill nodded a second later.

"Fine, but hurry. Take the handcuffs off her, Curtis." Then he walked into the situation room. Curtis did as he was told and gave her an apologetic look. However, Chloe was not in the mood to smile in return. She just hoped that he understood that she understood that Curtis had a job to do even if it meant detaining her.

"I've got to prepare the team. It won't take long. Are you going to be okay?" Jack asked. Chloe nodded.

"Yeah."

Jack patted her arm and then he and Curtis hurried off. She was left standing with everyone staring at her. She gave all of them the special Chloe look and they all went back to their work. All except for Edgar and…Spenser. Spenser was still a few feet away but then he walked over to her before Edgar did. Chloe crossed her arms.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here, Spenser?" she asked harshly.

"They needed more analysts. Look, Chloe. I heard about what happened. I-" he struggled to find the right words, "Are you okay?"

"Spenser. You're not my favorite person in the world right now and I just - no I'm not okay. I don't know what to do," she whispered horrified that she had let those words slip through her lips. He moved his hand as if he was about to touch her but then thought better of it.

"You're doing great right now," he replied, "I should get back to work before Edgar yells at me again. Chloe…I'm sorry." A tear slipped down her nose as she nodded and Spenser joined Edgar. Chloe gave Edgar a little wave letting Edgar know that she knew he was worried about her.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" Jack asked from behind her. Chloe turned around to face him and Curtis.

"Yeah. Let's go," she answered him with confidence that she didn't have.

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Chloe's hand hovered over the apartment's doorknob and for the life of her she couldn't remember why she had wanted to be back here in the first place. She must have been out of her mind. She licked her lips and then opened the door. It was unlocked. The agents swept into the apartment but she could not bring herself to go inside. She watched as Curtis and Jack whispered to each other grimly and her heart sank when she saw Jack coming for her. His expression told her there was no miracle that she had been hoping for. Her father was truly dead and his corpse was probably on her living room floor. Chloe couldn't believe that she was still able to stand.

"I'm sorry, Chloe."

She shut her eyes and put her hand to her right temple.

"Chloe, maybe you should wait outside," Jack suggested worriedly. Chloe shook her head.

"No. He's my father. I have to."

"I understand. Whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready," she lied and walked through the doorway and into the living room. Her eyes drew her to the body against the bloody couch where the forensics people were taking pictures and notes. She barely noticed her legs dragging through the crowd of agents until she was standing by her father's right foot.

Kevin O'Brian had been shot in the head and blood was still pouring from the wound. She touched his hand and the coldness brought fresh tears to her eyes.

"_Dad_," she sobbed and brought his hand to her lips. "I love you," she whispered smiling through her tears. She felt Jack kneel beside her.

"Jack, make it all okay. You always do. Please?" she pleaded not even knowing what she was asking him to do. She just wanted him to do his thing that he always did and no matter what everything would turn okay in the end. Jack grabbed her hand.

"I can't, Chloe. I'm sorry," he whispered. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. Her shoulders racked with sobs and he rubbed her back. He turned when he felt Curtis tapping him.

"What is it?" he asked quietly. Chloe lifted her head.

"These people were careful. I don't think they left many fingerprints. And I just got a call back from CTU and there weren't any Johnson that matched Chloe's description," Curtis said frowning.

"The two men were wearing gloves. Johnson wasn't but he really didn't touch anything…wait," she added suddenly. Curtis and Jack turned to her in confusion as Chloe's fingers wandered to the leather of her belt.

"My belt buckle. There should be fingerprints on here," she said hurriedly. She carefully unhooked the buckle and pulled the belt out of the loops of her jeans. Curtis took it and hurried over to the other agents leaving the two of them alone.

"Why the hell was he touching your belt?" Jack asked furiously. Touched as she was for his concern, she did not answer him. Jack tugged on her hand so that she would face him again.

"Answer me, Chloe!" he ordered.

"Don't worry, he didn't rape me," she replied quietly. Jack sensed a horrible "but" in there somewhere.

"But…"

"He just helped me undress and then dress. I was in my nightgown before." Chloe shuddered as she remembered feeling those calloused fingers run down her skin leaving goose bumps in its wake. Jack sensed her discomfort and took it as a cue to back away from her a little bit. However, she grabbed his hand.

"Don't. It wasn't you who did it. It isn't you who I'm afraid of."

Jack rubbed her cheek.

"You shouldn't have to feel afraid at all. Chloe. I swear to you, we _will_ find those men."

They stared at each other for quite sometime. Then Chloe nodded.

"I know. I trust you."

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Jack's mind was reeling. He knew he should be concentrating on the fact that Chloe had been hurt and that her father was dead because of him. However, his thoughts were mostly fixating on the fact on how much Chloe's well being mattered to him. At first he had dismissed it as being worried for a friend, a very good friend. But now after having his gut wrenched out of him when Chloe told him about how the fingerprints came to be on her buckle, he couldn't help but think that he had some sort of feelings for this woman. It certainly couldn't be anything more than platonic, could it?

He cursed himself for worrying about something small when Chloe was still grieving for her father. The guilt panged his already overburdened heart. If only he hadn't run into her, then her father would still be alive right now. But he couldn't help but feel grateful that she didn't shoot him. She cared enough about him not to kill him for the life of her father. Jack's mind replayed that scene. Shock wasn't enough to describe how he had felt when he saw Chloe raise her gun. Maybe numb? Or maybe it had been the worse sense of betrayal. It was as if Nina Myers had taken Chloe's place. In those few tense seconds, he had felt that he could never truly trust anyone again. Luckily, that would never happen till the day Chloe died. And that wasn't going to be anytime soon, if Jack had anything to do with it.

They were in the car on their way back to CTU. He wasn't exactly sure how his colleague was doing but she seemed to be out of shock mode. Jack assumed that she was feeling numb like he had when Teri was killed.

"The last time I had seen my father was seven years ago. We were never really close. He only cared about my grades. I loved my mom but she died when I was six. So I never really got to know her. Then twelve years later, he remarried and we grew even more distant. Sometimes I really hated him. But now I wish I could go back. I never _tried_ to connect with him. I should have at least tried."

"I'm sure he loved you, Chloe," Jack replied uncertainly.

"I know he loved me. He just never liked me," she answered sadly. Not knowing what to say, he just settled for reaching over and holding her cold hand.

To Chloe, it said everything and it was enough.

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Edgar typed away on his computer hoping to find a match on the fingerprint and he broke into a smile when he did. He reached for the phone and called Buchanan.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Mr. Buchanan, I found a match on the fingerprint. His real name is Timothy Rutgers. He has a clean slate. He also owns a financing company down in Sacramento. His company is overflowing with money, sir. But that's about it."

"Okay, thank you Edgar. Look for any bank accounts. I want to see if we can find a money trail. And also look through any documents that might have any connection with what we have today."

"Yes, sir."

He put down the phone and found that Spenser was behind him reading over his shoulder.

"Did you hear about Chloe?" Edgar asked. Spenser shook his head.

"No, what?"

"They found her father's body. He really is dead," Edgar answered. Spenser lowered his head and let out a sad sigh.

"Let's just hope she can make it through this, because it looks like we can use her help."

"I'm here, what do you need?" asked Chloe from in front of the desk. They both looked up in surprise. Spenser saw Jack and Curtis in the situation room with Buchanan. Chloe marched to her desk beside Edgar and punched in her username and password. Edgar swiveled around in his chair.

"Chloe, you don't have to do this."

Chloe huffed.

"Well, _obviously_ it looks like you two can't do anything yourselves without me herding you. Well, I'm here. What have you found on Rutgers?" she asked staring down at Edgar's screen. Sighing, Edgar told her what he knew. Spenser used that time to observe Chloe closely. She was obviously mourning but she was disguising it with that normal harsh exterior of hers. After hearing all she needed to hear, Chloe went back to her seat and clicked away on her keyboard.

After fifteen minutes, Chloe nearly choked on the water that she had taken a sip of from her bottle. Spenser and Edgar stared at her.

"What is it?" Spenser asked.

"He sent money to Sophie O'Brian."

Chloe leaned back into her seat in shock.

"Is she related to you?" Spenser asked. Chloe slowly nodded.

"She's my stepmother."

A/N: I hoped you liked it! I know, I know, the belt buckle is from season three but I needed something to fire Jack up. I hoped you liked the Jack/Chloe moments. I tried to make it realistic as possible. I'm thinking…should I add Audrey into the story? Or would it make the story too complicated? Hmmm… Please review! I love reviews! Thanks to the reviewers from the last chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own 24! If I did Jack and Chloe would have been together by now.

A/N: I'm so sorry that I didn't update for a really long time, but senior year in high school kind of does that to you. I hope you like this chapter and enjoy reading!

**It's Good to Have You Here**

Chloe stared at the computer screen hoping her stepmother's name would somehow delete itself from the company's records. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, uncertain as to what to do next. Her mind came to a numbing shock and the gears creaked to a slow halt. She barely felt Spenser's hand on her shoulder as he gently shook her to get her attention.

"Chloe-" he started but she shrugged his hand away.

"Shut up."

"But-"

"Spenser. Just. Shut. Up." The low, calm, and yet biting voice made him step away warily. Edgar coughed and backed away slightly knowing that Chloe was long overdue for an emotional explosion. Spenser and Edgar glanced at each other before the former nodded somberly. He turned to retrieve Jack from Buchanan but stopped when he heard the wheels of Chloe's chair squeak. She was on her feet still staring at the screen.

"I'll go," she said. Spenser gave her a puzzled look. Chloe turned sharply and bumped into Spenser's shoulders.

"_I'll_ tell Jack that my stepmother is liable to be a terrorist. That all right with you?" she asked acrimoniously. He just nodded and stepped back so that she would have room to get out of the circle of desks. Chloe walked off with an air of stubbornness. Spenser shook his head.

"I forgot what it's like to work with her."

Edgar crossed his arms.

"And whose fault is that?"

Spenser just returned to his desk and typed on his keyboard fully knowing the answer.

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Chloe walked up the stairs laboriously wondering why she was feeling so tired. She had days like this before when everything went straight to hell and she was right besides Jack to help him endure it. This time was different. It was _she_ who was taken hostage. It was _her_ father who died because of her. It was _her_ stepmother's name that popped up on the computer. How did Jack keep himself from crawling underneath his covers and not coming out until judgment day? She stopped right before the glass doors and blankly watched as she saw Jack briefing Buchanan. How did it come to this? She stared right back at Jack when he noticed she was at the door. She opened the door after taking a big breath.

"What is it Chloe?" Buchanan asked not unkindly. Chloe chewed the inside of her cheek before answering.

"We might have a lead," she replied. The two men stepped toward her with puzzled looks.

"Sophie O' Brian. Her name came up on the company's records. She's my stepmother."

Buchanan and Jack exchanged shocked glances before staring back at Chloe.

"So? Aren't you going to do anything?" she asked with a huff. Buchanan cleared his throat obviously shocked at how his analyst bounced back to her normal self so quickly. However, Jack knew that this was just a mask, a shred of something that Chloe could hold onto. It was still a relief to have some of her old self with them. Jack nodded to Buchanan.

"Chloe, go with Jack," Buchanan ordered.

"Of course, I will." And with that she walked out. Buchanan grabbed Jack's arm before he followed her.

"Jack. I need to know. Is she stable enough to do her job?" he asked solemnly. Jack coldly looked at his colleague.

"You just sent her out on the field. What do you think?" Jack reached for the door.

"Jack!"

Jack turned around with an unreadable expression on his weary face. Somewhere inside, it felt as if cold metal was twisting his guts and he wasn't quite sure why. All he knew was that he wouldn't like Buchanan's next words.

"I want you to know as much as I respect Chloe and her talent, I have to know if she's up to this. If I suspect that her emotions are getting in the way, I'll have no choice but to pull her out," Buchanan explained with regret. If the situation did come to that, CTU would be severely handicapped. He had never saw how much Chloe had become an integral part of the team until he realized they might not have her this time around.

"It won't come to that, Bill," Jack assured him. Buchanan crossed his arms.

"Are you sure?"

"I know Chloe. She knows what's at stake."

Buchanan gave him a short nod.

"All right. Get to work, Jack."

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Chloe crossed her arms as she sat in the passenger seat of Jack's car. How many more surprises would she have to take before she went into cardiac arrest? She inwardly groaned as she felt her headache grow and she rubbed her temples. Chloe glanced to the side as Jack slid into his seat. She quickly turned her head when Jack looked up. How did he do it? How did he manage to jumpstart her heart with just one look? Even the death of her father couldn't slow down her pulse, which the very idea of that tugged at her guilty conscience.

"So can you tell me about your stepmother?" Jack asked cautiously. She guessed he had reason to tread with care. Everyone at CTU knew about her volatile temper.

"Other than the fact that she's a gold digger and quite possibly a terrorist?" she replied. Jack nodded. "I don't know how she met Dad but they met. It was love at first sight for my Dad even though she was like old enough to be my sister. Got married within two months. It was supposed to be six but Sophie just couldn't 'live another day without spending it with him'. So they got married, and acted like newlyweds for at least three years."

Jack had a thoughtful look on his face as turned right on the corner.

"Did she have access to your father's business bank accounts? Or did she have money of her own?"

"Dad gave her money once a month when she wouldn't stop bugging him about it. It might have been more than that after I moved out. I don't know. How do you do it?" she asked suddenly in afterthought. Jack glanced at her before staring out through the windshield.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

"All this. This is your life. How do you keep it all together?"

There was a long silence and Chloe could see Jack stiffen. She cursed herself knowing that Jack liked to talk about his personal life just as much as she did. Chloe bit her tongue before speaking.

"Never mind. Sorry." She looked to her window wishing she could melt through the seat.

"I don't deal with it. It's the only way to keep me sane," he paused to gauge his colleague's reactions, "When you have this job, you see things that you wish you didn't. You do things that you can't forgive. At some point, enough is enough. You just got to let it waste away."

"So … you let it all sit there. That can't be healthy, Jack," she said perhaps a little too chidingly.

"Well, what would you have me do, Chloe!" he asked harshly with gritted teeth.

"I don't know. I'm not the right person to ask. Not by a long shot." Jack breathed in deeply.

"Leave things alone and they won't blow up in your face."

Chloe snorted.

"Yeah, but if you don't pick them up _someone else_ will end up stepping in them. And why in the world are we talking in metaphors?" Jack chuckled and continued driving.

Somehow, everything about Chloe seemed like a metaphor to him and maybe that was the very thing that made her…special.

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Sophie O'Brian opened her eyes to find herself in the arms of a very naked man. She pulled away from him slightly and reached for her robe, which had been draped across her lamp haphazardly sometime in the night. The woman pulled it over her shoulders and she patted her hair in hopes of calming it. She glanced at the man still underneath the covers. Scott? Sebastian? Sam? His name had started out with an "S"… Her train of thought drifted off when she heard a car door slam. And then another.

Sophie slipped out of her bed and cautiously peeked through the blinds of her window. A man possibly in his forties was talking to a young woman. It was the woman who caught her eyes. Well, well, well. This would certainly be entertaining.

She dashed to her bed and roused S the only way she knew how. She kissed him passionately until he woke and groan. Sophie pulled away and then shook his shoulders.

"Come on, up up up. You have to go," she said looking over her shoulder to the door. She could hear them on the front doorstep. He groaned and reached for her. _Sebastian, that's his name._

"Oh no you don't. _Come on._ They're here," she hissed. That said, he shot up from the bed. Sophie grabbed his clothes and tossed them. "Now dress."

"What about you?" he asked.

"This is all I need. Don't mess this up."

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Chloe stood in front of the door and then stepped back to see the rest of the mansion. It had been years since she had stepped foot into the place but it hadn't changed at all. She tried to come up with any happy memories that occurred there but she couldn't think of one. It came as no surprise to her. She turned when Jack put his hand on her shoulder and ignored the light flutters in her stomach.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked concerned.

"What do you think?" she replied harshly. Jack nodded and pressed the doorbell. She stared straight at the door waiting. After a full minute, which felt like a godforsaken year to her, the door opened with a clatter and her stepmother came in full view. Chloe let out a breath. She could do this, she could look at her in the eye, she wouldn't be scared, she-her stepmother was in a _bathrobe_. Chloe was certain there was nothing else underneath and then nearly rolled her eyes. She had forgotten how young Sophie O'Brian was. Sophie still had the long brown hair highlighted with strands of blonde, and she was still lithe and slender. It seemed like nearing the forties did wonders for her stepmother.

"_Chloe?_" Sophie gasped. Chloe bit her lip. If she was a terrorist, she was certainly a great actress.

"Hi, Sophie."

Sophie put one hand on her hip.

"Chloe, what is going on? You haven't been here in ages. But your father's not home. In fact, I just called him and he wasn't answering his phone."

Chloe willed her tears to stay in their duct.

"Ma'am. My name is Jack Bauer. I'm a CTU agent and we really need to talk."

Sophie looked to Chloe in confusion.

"About what? What in the world is going on, Chloe?"

"Let us in, Sophie. Please," she answered. Sophie stared at her for a long moment and then stepped away from the door. Jack took the lead and went in. Chloe followed soon after. The house really hadn't changed at all. The front entrance led to both the large kitchen and living room. She looked up. Yes, there was the chandelier that her mother had picked out. Sophie went into the kitchen and they followed.

The kitchen seemed barely used but the coffee pot was on brewing away. Chloe ran her fingers over the long counter. She thought she had baked brownies there with her mother once, but she wasn't too sure. Sophie moved past the counter and moved towards the coffee pot. She took out a mug and poured some in.

"I'd offer you some, but I wasn't expecting company." She leaned against the handle of her oven and took a sip. "So what's this all about?"

"Ma'am. Your husband was killed by a terrorist this morning. A terrorist named Timothy Rutgers. It showed up on our records that you gave a large amount of money to this man more than once."

"He's dead?" Sophie whispered. "Oh my God."

"I'm sorry but you're going to have to explain this money situation," Jack said. Sophie straightened up and clenched her mug so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Are you saying that I had something to do with this? Are you saying that I'm a _terrorist_?" she snarled. At this moment, something in Chloe broke.

"Yeah, that's exactly what we're saying!" Chloe shouted. Jack glanced at her and put his hand on her arm.

"I love my husband!" Sophie yelled back.

"Yeah? Then why do you look like you just had sex? And I'm pretty sure you didn't have it with Dad considering he's _dead_!" Chloe growled. Sophie faltered at this.

"I just took a shower," she said. Chloe crossed her arms and out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Jack's hand resting on the hilt of his gun.

"Your hair isn't wet," Jack said quietly.

"I just dried it," Sophie said her voice wavering. Jack took four big steps forward.

"You're lying," he whispered and then ran forward with such energy that even shocked Chloe. He grabbed the woman's arms and slammed her against oven. Her head hit the microwave that was just above the oven.

"Now tell us what you know about Rutgers," he hissed. She let out a small, cruel laugh.

"You don't scare me," she whispered. Chloe's gut twisted into a knot. This was all so wrong. She held her breath as she watched her stepmother snake her naked leg around Jack. Sophie slowly untied the sash of her robes and then stared at Jack in the eyes. Then she covered his mouth with hers.

Chloe nearly threw up when she saw Jack kiss Sophie back with equal intensity.

Suddenly, Chloe heard a muffled scream and saw Jack back away from Sophie. Sophie sank to the floor with blood pouring out from her thigh. Chloe stared at her wide-eyed and then looked down at the white tiles. She saw a silver knife stained with red. Jack squeezed the wound and Sophie screamed once more. Chloe was tempted to cover her ears.

"Tell me what you know about Rutgers!" Jack yelled.

"I'm not going to tell you anything, you bastard!" Sophie screamed back. Jack reached for the knife again but stopped short when Sophie opened her mouth.

"SEBASTIAN! NOW!"

Jack grunted as she kicked him in the stomach but quickly took out his gun. As soon as he did, a man from the doorway took a shot at him with his gun. Jack ducked and the bullet hit a pan over the sink. Jack returned fire and shouted at Chloe to stay down. However, she caught sight of Sophie grabbing the knife and froze for a split second.

"JACK! WATCH OUT!"

Jack twisted in confusion and then groaned as the blade slashed his torso. He then tried to grab hold of Sophie's arm but she was too fast for him. She ran through the doorway behind them. The man now had his attention on Chloe and started shooting at her. Chloe crouched behind the counter hoping that it was enough protection.

"Jack!"

"Chloe, stay down!" He grabbed his gun and took cover behind the side of the oven and the microwave. Jack let out a curse before he stepped out from his cover and shot two times. He then slipped back and heard a bullet whiz past his shoulder. He then jumped back out and emptied his gun into the man a couple feet away from him. The dark-haired man's eyes rolled back and slumped to the floor.

Jack ran over to Chloe and helped her up.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" she asked staring at his wound.

"I'm fine."

"Jack, you're bleeding like a stuck pig. I'd hardly say you're fine," she said.

"It didn't cut too deeply. The bleeding will stop in a couple of minutes. Come on, we have to find her," he said in his no-nonsense voice. Chloe hesitated before nodding.

"She might be upstairs in her room. I mean, she's got to dress, right?" Chloe said. Jack nodded and then followed Chloe as she led them upstairs. He had been too clumsy. He should have heard the man approaching. He shouldn't have been stabbed. He had almost let Chloe get hurt.

They crept through the hallways in order not to alert Sophie. Jack heard a panicked shuffling in one of the rooms. With the gun in his hands, he approached the doorway. The room was like a study. A computer was sitting on a mahogany desk whirring away. Sophie had her hand on what looked like a flash drive.

"Put your hands up in the air!" he ordered. Sophie paused before she did so.

"Now get down on your knees and put your hands on your head!"

He then walked over and handcuffed her before she could cause any more damage. Jack pulled out a switchblade from underneath his jacket. Sophie glared at him.

"Tell me what I need to know."

"No," she whispered. Jack glanced up at Chloe.

"Chloe, I need you to go into the hallway."

"What? Why?"

"Chloe, please." He silently pleaded with her through his eyes. She had already gone through so much today. He was sure that watching him torture her stepmother was something that she didn't need. Jack needed Chloe functional, but it was more than that. He didn't want her to go through more emotional pain. Chloe nodded and stepped out of the room. He placed his full attention on the woman at hand.

"You have feelings for her," she whispered scornfully.

"Shut up," he hissed and placed the blade on her cheek. "What's on that flash drive?"

"Nothing you need to know about."

He grabbed her face and jerked it upwards. He ran his knife over her cheek and then up to her eye.

"I'd hate to ruin this pretty face," he murmured.

"I'm not talking."

"You sure about that?" he asked. She only glared at him and so he sunk his blade into her skin. She gasped.

"That hurt, doesn't it? It's nothing compared to what I'm going to do next, Sophie. No, still won't talk?"

Soon screams filled the room.

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Chloe winced when she heard her scream and rubbed her arms. She was suddenly glad that Jack had kicked her out of that room. Whatever he had done, it had to be painful. But she deserved every bit of it. What Sophie had done was a thousand times worse. Did Sophie marry her father knowing this very day was to come? Or did Rutgers approach her after they got married? Did Sophie get sick of him after the money ran out? Chloe rubbed her temples and let out a shaky breath.

Chloe looked up when she heard muffled yelling from Jack. She sighed and walked away to the window. When she was younger, she had always thought it strange that there was a window at the end of a hallway. But she came to love it. Chloe smiled remembering the days when she just sat in front of the window and stared. Just stared into the blossoms of the pear tree below. She ran her fingers over the windowpane and then finally she let herself crack again. Hot tears flowed from her eyes and she didn't bother to wipe them away.

She frowned when she heard a footstep. Was Jack done? Chloe turned around only to see Rutgers with a gun in his hand. She opened her mouth to scream but the barrel of the gun slammed against her head. _Jack!_

Everything turned black.

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"Okay, okay, I'll talk," Sophie cried. Jack dropped his knife onto the floor carefully.

"How do you know Rutgers?" he asked. She bit her lip and tried to keep her voice from quivering.

"He's a childhood friend. Ex-boyfriend. He called me one day asking me to help. He wanted money and wanted it soon. Said I owed him and I did. Tim helped me out a bunch of times so I couldn't refuse him. So I sent him money. Then he asked me for more and more that finally I told him that I wouldn't give him what he wanted until he told me what he was using it for."

"What did he tell you?" Jack asked. Sophie sniffled and then cried some more. Jack shook her shoulders. "What did he tell you?" he yelled.

"He told me-he told me-"

She didn't finish. Jack watched helplessly as her eyes rolled backward. Blood spurted from her head and the body dropped to the side. Jack looked up. Four men were in the room with him with their guns aimed straight at him. He got to his feet.

"What did you do to her?" he asked steely.

One man smirked.

"Shot her, of course. Can't you tell?" he asked laughing. Jack clenched his fist.

"Not her."

The man raised one eyebrow and then snapped his fingers. Jack's heart sank as he saw another man come into the room with Chloe draped over his shoulder.

"You mean her? Oh nothing permanent. Just a hit over the head."

Jack stepped forward. "You son of a bitch," he hissed.

The man laughed and crossed his arms.

"Now, now, Mr. Bauer. Language. I suppose you know who I am by now."

"Rutgers," he said with gritted teeth.

"Correct in one. Good thing I'm not working with a complete idiot. It makes my life a tad bit easier you know, but considering you are _the_ Jack Bauer, I should have at least expected that."

"What's in that flash drive?" Jack growled.

"It's not really any of your business. Now get down on your knees and put your hands on your head."

Jack stood still not caring to obey Rutgers' orders. He flinched when one of the men aimed at Chloe's head.

"Now, get down on your knees," Rutgers demanded. Jack dropped to his knees and placed his hands on his head.

"Good. Hopefully, you'll be just as agreeable for the rest of the day. For her sake, anyway."

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The first thing Chloe noticed was that she had a throbbing headache. No, throbbing was putting it lightly. A soft moan escaped her lips as she opened her eyes. She blinked as she tried to stretch but her hands were bound tightly. _What?_ She realized that she was in the back of a van and she could barely see her own two feet.

"Chloe? Are you okay?" Jack asked worriedly. He shuffled to her side. She noticed that he was bound too.

"What happened?"

"Rutgers. He killed Sophie before she could tell me anything and they're driving us somewhere," he replied. She looked around. The van had no windows and there was a tarp covering the front. Chloe bit her lip and then closed her eyes.

"Chloe?"

"I'm fine. It's just I have a headache and all this jostling from the terrible driving isn't helping things."

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I should have seen this coming. You should have never come along."

"Jack, you're not Superman, okay? Besides, this isn't going to help us escape."

Jack just smiled. Chloe licked her lips all of a sudden feeling very conscious of herself.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just…as horrible it is. I'm glad to have you with me," he answered. Chloe knew that there was a goofy smile on her face and she tried to wipe it off. Unfortunately, it didn't work and soon it was joined by a big, great blush.

"Well, that's um good."

There was an uncomfortable silence until Chloe realized that Jack had been stabbed.

"Jack! Your wound! Are you okay?" she exclaimed. Jack looked down and winced. It did look a little ugly.

"Yeah, it stopped bleeding awhile ago. It should be okay."

"But what if it's not? I mean, who knows how long we're going to be stuck like this. It could get infected if you don't get treatment. I mean look at it! Oh my God. The knife had Sophie's blood on it and now it's in you. What if she carries HIV? What if-" Jack brushed her lips softly with her own.

That shut her up quickly. However, Chloe's happiness was short-lived when the tires of the van hit a speed bump. She lurched forward and then slammed backwards. Jack supported her with his shoulder.

"Chloe?"

She moaned and the last thing she registered was the well toned muscles of Jack's chest before she lost consciousness.

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Once again, I'm so sorry for the wait. Also I am definitely not a doctor and I have no idea if Jack should be still functional after being stabbed. I'm sorry if it's totally ridiculously inaccurate. Also, since I wrote this before Edgar died, Edgar will be alive in this story. Thanks to all past reviewers and please review!


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